tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8083556450285854872024-03-06T07:50:08.929+00:00Flails and NailsFlails and Nailshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14337131801926055018noreply@blogger.comBlogger290125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-808355645028585487.post-89160800962305303782017-07-27T08:00:00.000+01:002017-07-27T08:00:31.712+01:00'Thrones Thursday - Greyscale Nails (GoT 7x02 discussion post)If you've followed me for a while, you know that I am a HUGE fan of Game of Thrones. Every series, I'd usually put together a few posts with themed nail art. This series, I'd love to do nail art based on each episode. Of course, I'm not getting off on the best foot considering I'm starting on the second week but sure, it's the thought that counts, right?<br />
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Obviously, spoilers ahead for Game of Thrones 7x02 "Stormborn"<br />
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At the end of last week's season opener, we discovered that Jorah is in the Citadel, waiting out his days with Greyscale, hoping to be cured by the maesters. In Stormborn, we got a bit more close and *ahem* personal with his condition. That cut to the pie 🤢 Anyway, I've done dragon scale nails before, but I fancied trying out a bit of Greyscale on my nails, complete with matte top coat.<br />
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The nails are pretty simple to do. I started by outlining the scales with the darker grey shade. In this case it was Flossgloss Faded. Next, I filled the scales with a lighter grey. I used Barry M Chai for this part. You don't need to be particular with this. I added a little bit of white highlight, just to lift the pattern, and then added the matte topcoat. I picked Barry M's matte topcoat on the recommendation of Vicky over on The Polish List. I threw my old one out because I never used it so it's been a while since I've used one. The brush is a wide one, like all of Barry M's new stock but it was very stiff, like the brush from their cuticle oil. Because of this, I had a bit of dragging when I applied the topcoat, but because of the design, I don't mind it.<br />
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This is the first nail art I've done in a while, but I'm pleased with it. It's simple but I think you can tell what it is straight away (at least I think so 😅)<br />
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Now, some thoughts on the rest of the episode:<br />
I really liked this week's episode. I think I'm not the only one who felt that the last 15-20 minutes were straight out of a penultimate episode from a previous season. They are making seven episodes this season, as opposed to the usual ten, so it's clear that each episode is on a slightly grander scale than what we're used to on a weekly basis. Saying that, next week, we'll already be nearly half way through the series and that is NOT okay.<br />
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I can't wait to see Jon and Dany's meeting next week. It's something fans have been waiting for for years. Of course, how long is it until people within the GoT world know more about Jon's true parentage? I wonder if they're going to go down the romantic route with Jon and Dany and then drop the bomb that she's his auntie...probably, it is Game of Thrones after all!<br />
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What are you're thoughts on this week's episode? Let me know in the comments below, and be sure ot follow on all the social media, until next time!<br />
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<br />Flails and Nailshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14337131801926055018noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-808355645028585487.post-74599202752636747532017-07-14T08:00:00.000+01:002017-07-14T08:00:10.455+01:00Models Own One Night Stand - Silver Mirror Chrome Polish* - ReviewOK, so remember when Models Own didn't release any new nail products for a few months? Well, that time has truly passed! This summer they have been releasing limited edition products left, right and centre. The latest addition to the brand comes in the form of One Night Stand, a two-step mirror chrome nail polish. Now, Models Own have their fair share of chrome polishes (see my posts <a href="http://flailsandnails.blogspot.co.uk/2015/01/models-own-colour-chrome-collection.html" target="_blank">here</a> and <a href="http://flailsandnails.blogspot.co.uk/2015/11/models-own-colour-chrome-autumnwinter.html" target="_blank">here</a>) but this one is different. Unlike the others, One Night Stand has a TRUE mirror-like finish. It isn't a foil-like polish. It replicates the chrome finish you would traditionally find with chrome powders and gel polish.<br />
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Models Own is one of the first larger nail brands to release a nail polish with this type of finish. Soigné is releasing their version today (14/07/17) as well, and Ciaté have been teasing theirs for a long while.<br />
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One Night Stand is a two-step polish. You apply the base/top coat combo first. You have to be sure that the base is COMPLETELY dry before applying the actual chrome polish. I only needed to use one coat as the polish is packed full of pigment. Again, you have to wait until it is dried completely before you apply the base/top coat, otherwise you might compromise the finish of the polish.<br />
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The finish is by no means flawless, at least on me but it's the closest to a true mirror-shine I've ever seen in a nail polish. I probably need to buff my nails a touch more, or leave the base coat to dry to get it to a flawless finish. My biggest gripe with the polish is that the brush has a flat edge, rather than a rounded one. I think I'm spoilt because so many brands now have wide, rounded brushes. For a polish where you can't don't really want to mess up, a rounded tip would come in handy.<br />
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The name One Night Stand is very appropriate as the mirror finish is only supposed to last about 6 hours. This is clearly stated on the packaging, so you know from the outset. From my own testing, it does last a solid couple of hours before it starts to dull and chip. It's a great option for a night out, or a special occasion, but if you want a long-lasting mirror chrome, then you should go down the gel route.<br />
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One Night Stand is £14.99, a bit more expensive than Models Own's usual price point but you get the base/top coat, the polish itself and a pretty cool product which is the fraction of a cost of a (good) gel manicure. You can buy One Night Stand from the Models Own website <a href="http://modelsownit.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">NOW</a> but stock is apparently limited.<br />
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I hope they bring out more colour options soon, I would LOVE a gold or rose gold/copper. What colour would you like to see?<br />
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Be sure to follow me on all the social media linked below, until next time!<br />
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<br />Flails and Nailshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14337131801926055018noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-808355645028585487.post-5411803004238137762017-06-30T12:20:00.003+01:002017-06-30T12:20:54.847+01:00Models Own Aquaproof Poolside Polish - Swatches & Review*Hi everyone! Today's post will get everyone into the summery mood *even if the weather is autumnal in these parts*. Models Own latest Summer collection is a departure from their usual Polish for Tans range. The Aquaproof collection is a set of five limited edition summer brights that have a UV filter, protecting them from the sun so that the colour doesn't fade while on holiday in summery climes.<br />
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I have all five shades swatched for you guys to see. Thanks to Models Own for sending these my way to try out, I hope you like them!<br />
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Each swatch is two or three coats (will specify) and a layer of top coat. Without topcoat, these polishes have a semi-matte finish. These shades have a crelly consistency, hence why they need a few more coats to be opaque.<br />
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Let's start off with <i>Cerise Stopper</i><br />
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<i><a href="https://www.modelsownit.com/product/aquaproof_collection#cerise+stopper" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Cerise Stopper</a> </i>is a pink-y red (more pink in rl than in the picture) and the most pigmented polish from the range. I only needed two coats from this polish to get full opacity. I think this is a great summer red for those who don't like to veer too far from classic shades when holidaying.<br />
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<i><a href="https://www.modelsownit.com/product/aquaproof_collection#orange+seal" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Orange Seal</a></i> is a zesty orange and one of my favourites from the range. I'm always a sucker for an orange shade. Three coats took this polish to full opacity. For the lighter colours, it would have been interested to see them layered on top of a white base as this is usually what you do with neon shades.<br />
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<i><a href="https://www.modelsownit.com/product/aquaproof_collection#impassable+yellow" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Impassable Yellow</a></i> is a bright yellow which is slightly warmer than a lemon yellow but not as warm as a banana or butter yellow. Like <i>Orange Seal</i>, <i>Impassable Yellow</i> is a little thinner than the deeper shades in the collection and a white base could have really helped boost the shade's brightness even more.<br />
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<i><a href="https://www.modelsownit.com/product/aquaproof_collection#airtight+turquoise" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Airtight Turquoise</a> </i>is a lovely teal shade. Three coats is needed for full opacity but be mindful this I found this shade to be a little patchy, unexpectedly so for it being one of the darker shades.<br />
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<b style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 12.1px; font-style: italic;">FLAIL-O-METER </b><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 12.1px;">👏👏👏</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 12.1px;">👏</span></div>
<i><a href="https://www.modelsownit.com/product/aquaproof_collection#impervious+pink" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Impervious Pink</a> </i>is an in-your-face barbie pink. Three coats is needed to full opacity with this one. Again, if you're a classic polish fan, then this is a great colour if you normally wear pink on your nails because its extra bright.<br />
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You can see in the swatches that these polishes come with a cool, water-droplet effect cap. A word or warning, the blue seemed to transfer off the caps onto my hands when painting. It's not much, kind of like when denim dye can transfer onto your hands sometimes. It comes off easily with polish remover, but I thought I ought to warn you.<br />
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So what do you think of the collection? It reminds me of the Brazillian collection from OPI a few years ago. I know people have been waiting on new Polish for Tans shades but these shades still do the same job but with a different finish and consistency. My favourite is <i>Orange Seal </i>or <i>Cerise Stopper</i>.<br />
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You can pick up the Aquaproof collection from the <a href="https://www.modelsownit.com/product/aquaproof_collection" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Models Own website</a> NOW, as well as in bottleshops and stores. The polishes are priced at £4.99.<br />
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As always, be sure to follow on social media and such. I post nail art on Insta and Tumblr more regularly so be sure to following over there. Until next time!<br />
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<br />Flails and Nailshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14337131801926055018noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-808355645028585487.post-12148299309311242172017-05-26T08:00:00.000+01:002017-05-26T08:00:08.693+01:00Models Own Celestial Collection - Nail Polish Swatches & Review*So this collection has been hyped up for the last few weeks but it's now available! The Celestial collection from Models Own features iridescent lip toppers, glitter lip kits, face glitter kits, an eyeshadow palette and 5 new nail polishes. The lovely team at Models Own sent me the WHOLE collection, including makeup, to try out. It would only be appropriate for me to write up a blog post about the polishes first but let me know if you want to see a detailed review of the rest of the collection. It'll all be on my Instagram over the next few weeks so follow me on there to keep updated.<br />
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The Celestial polishes have a pearly finish, apart from <i>Stunning</i>, a gunmetal shimmer. They all come in at £5, the usual price for Models Own polishes and the swatches are all three coats plus a top coat.<br />
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<b style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 12.1px; font-style: italic;">FLAIL-O-METER </b><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 12.1px;">👏👏👏</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 12.1px;">👏</span></div>
<i>Lilac Mood </i>- This unique shade is closer to an indigo than purple IMO and its unlike anything I have in my collection. For a pretty light and pastel collection, this shade is pretty pigmented. Three coats gives you full opacity but as you can see, brushstrokes are pretty visible in the pearl shades from this collection. It is to be expected so be careful with application.<br />
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<b style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 12.1px; font-style: italic;">FLAIL-O-METER </b><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 12.1px;">👏👏👏</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><i>White Pearl </i>does exactly what it says on the tin. A pearl white, it'll be a cool base for nail art but it's not unique like some of the other shades.</span></div>
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<b style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 12.1px; font-style: italic;">FLAIL-O-METER </b><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 12.1px;">👏👏👏</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 12.1px;">👏</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 12.1px;">👏</span></div>
<i>Sweet Peach </i>is my favourite shade from the collection. An interesting take on the classic pastel peach shade, it may look a little retro but it is a shade you don't see every spring/summer. Not too sure it suits my skin tone but I'll probably wear it anyway.<br />
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<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><i>Love Pink </i>is a pearly baby pink. This kind of shade has popped up a lot this spring/summer, even in a pearl finish. It is a nice shade but like <i>Pearl White</i>, it is a shade you wouldn't be pushed to find on the high street already.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b style="color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 12.1px;">FLAIL-O-METER </b><span style="color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 12.1px; font-style: normal;">👏👏👏</span><span style="color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 12.1px; font-style: normal;">👏</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: #333333;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><i>Stunning </i>is the only non-pearl shade in the Celestial collection and it is a gorgeous one. It has a slight warmth to it which I think would make it a nice shade for range of skin tones. Its quite like the finish of Barry M Molten Metal shades but its unlike any of the shades already in that collection.</span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: #333333;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">So what are your thoughts on the Celestial collection? S<i>weet Peach </i>and <i>Lilac Mood </i>are my top picks from the collection. I'm surprised there wasn't a holographic or iridescent nail topper in the collection to match the lip toppers. You can get these polishes from the Models Own website <a href="https://www.modelsownit.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">NOW</a> as well as Bottleshops around the UK (as well as Superdrug)</span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: #333333;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">As always, follow on all the social media to be kept up to date, until next time!</span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="http://instagram.com/flailsandnails" style="color: #aaaaaa; font-family: Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 12.1px; font-weight: bold; max-width: 100%; text-decoration-line: none; transition: color 0.3s ease-out;" target="_blank"><span style="color: black;">INSTA</span></a><span style="color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 12.1px;"> | </span><a href="http://facebook.com/flailsandnails" style="color: black; font-family: Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 12.1px; font-weight: bold; max-width: 100%; text-decoration-line: none; transition: color 0.3s ease-out;" target="_blank">FACEBOOK</a><span style="color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 12.1px;"> | </span><a href="http://flailsandnails.tumblr.com/" style="color: black; font-family: Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 12.1px; font-weight: bold; max-width: 100%; text-decoration-line: none; transition: color 0.3s ease-out;" target="_blank">TUMBLR</a><span style="color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 12.1px;"> | </span><a href="http://twitter.com/flailsandnails" style="color: black; font-family: Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 12.1px; font-weight: bold; max-width: 100%; text-decoration-line: none; transition: color 0.3s ease-out;" target="_blank">TWITTER</a></span></div>
Flails and Nailshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14337131801926055018noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-808355645028585487.post-86137366223150393352017-05-19T08:00:00.000+01:002017-05-19T08:00:28.399+01:00Barry M Coconut Infusion Nail Paint - Summer 2017*<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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In amongst all of the new summer releases from Barry M, we have four new <a href="https://www.barrym.com/product/Coconut-Infusion" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Coconut Infusion</a> shades added to the range. The closest we've gotten to neon shades from the brand, Flip Flop (bright orange), Popsicle (raspberry pink), Scuba (cyan) and Lemonade (neon yellow) are here to bring a little zing to your nails this summer. I was sent these four new shades to swatch and review for you guys so pop under the cut to see what I thought (spoiler alert, FLAILS ALL AROUND)<br />
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These swatches are all three thin coats (unless otherwise stated) and a slick of top coat!<br />
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<a name='more'></a>Let's kick things off Beyoncé style with some Lemonade...<br />
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<b style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 12.1px; font-style: italic;">FLAIL-O-METER </b><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 12.1px;">👏👏👏</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 12.1px;">👏</span></div>
With a white base already incorporated, <i>Lemonade </i>doesn't need a base coat to let the colour pop but three coats are necessary as it can be a little patchy on first application. It reminds me of Models Own's Soft Pop collection from last Spring/Summer. Muted neons that still add a great pop of colour without being too in your face. There's nothing like it (that I know of anyway) in the Barry M range.<br />
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<b style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 12.1px; font-style: italic;">FLAIL-O-METER </b><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 12.1px;">👏👏👏</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 12.1px;">👏</span></div>
<i>Scuba </i>is a kind of like a cyan blue mixed with turquoise (so eloquent here). I don't think photos really show how bright this polish is in real life. This might be a bit out-there for the casual polish fan but for us colour addicts it would be a nice addition to your collection.<br />
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<b style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 12.1px; font-style: italic;">FLAIL-O-METER </b><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 12.1px;">👏👏👏</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 12.1px;">👏</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 12.1px;">👏</span></div>
I. LOVE. THIS. COLOUR. Do I need to say more? <i>Flip Flop </i>is a gorgeous orange, quite like Mango from the Gelly range but a touch warmer perhaps? One of my favourites from this drop.<br />
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<b style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 12.1px; font-style: italic;">FLAIL-O-METER </b><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 12.1px;">👏👏👏</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 12.1px;">👏</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 12.1px;">👏</span></div>
This is another shade that photos don't do it justice. You can see that its not quite a red or pink but somewhere in-between. Popsicle really POPS in real life. A great summer alternative to the classic red. This one could have been a two coater as well but I gave it a third for good luck. By the way, the small bubbles you might notice on this are from my top coat, not my polish. I think its on the turn!<br />
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My pick? <i>Flip Flop </i>or <i>Popsicle</i> just because they're shades I'd wear a lot more but beware, <i>Popsicle </i>stains like a motherflipper (as you can see in the pics)<br />
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If you'd like to expand your coconut oil and water infused nail polish collection, these new shades are available NOW in Boots, Superdrug and on Barry M's website <a href="https://www.barrym.com/product/Coconut-Infusion" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">HERE</a> for £4.99.<br />
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Which shade is your favourite? Let me know in the comments below and be sure to follow on all the social meda, until next time!Flails and Nailshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14337131801926055018noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-808355645028585487.post-28022722198979597772017-05-01T08:00:00.000+01:002017-05-01T08:00:07.111+01:00Models Own SoFly Collection - Swatches & Review*Since this collaboration was first teased, I think some of us nail art nerds geeked out at the idea of one of the best UK brands collaborating with who I'd consider as one the OG nail artists out there, Sophy Robson. The SoFly collection is inspired by Sophy's work in street art, as well as her signature eye-catching nail designs. There was speculation as to what this collection would contain. I would have put money on a bright pink and I was right, along with a lovely lilac, a classic red, gorgeous gold and a cool speckle topper. Thanks to Models Own for letting me have a little preview of the collection which launched in store and online on Friday.<br />
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Pop under the cut to see swatches of the collection, along with my thoughts on the shades.<br />
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<a name='more'></a>All of the swatches below are two coats with a top coat as well, unless otherwise specified!<br />
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<b style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 12.1px; font-style: italic;">FLAIL-O-METER </b><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 12.1px;">👏👏👏👏</span></div>
<i>Girl Gang </i>is the colour I envisioned in this collection. It's almost the exact shade as the nail polish emoji (which is red on my phone but whatever). The gold flakey shimmer makes the polish a little different to your standard pink polish. It isn't patchy and applied really nicely.<br />
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<b style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 12.1px; font-style: italic;">FLAIL-O-METER </b><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 12.1px;">👏👏👏👏</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="background-color: white;">The cool-toned partner to <i>Girl Gang</i>, <i>Flylac </i>is a punchy lilac shade with silver flakey shimmer. I have to say, application was a little tricky when it came to the second coat. I'd let the polish dry but when I went to apply the second coat, the first coar moved around, making it a little patchy. I used a very light hand and managed to make the nails opaque with two coats. I love this shade, hence the Flail-O-Meter reading but beware, it's a little tricky to work with (but this might have just been my bottle)</span></span></div>
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<b style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 12.1px; font-style: italic;">FLAIL-O-METER </b><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 12.1px;">👏👏👏👏</span></div>
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<i>Bullion Bling </i>is very similar to Barry M's <i>Gold Rush </i>from the latest <a href="http://flailsandnails.blogspot.co.uk/2017/03/barry-m-molten-metal-ss17-swatches-and.html" target="_blank">Molten Metal</a> collection, but without the duochrome. It also reminds me of one of my favourite OPI shades, <i>Goldfinger</i>. I was quite impressed with the level of opacity with only two coats. I should have probably used three but two seems to do the job. A great shade for going out or like me, just day to day living your best life LOL<br />
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<b style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 12.1px; font-style: italic;">FLAIL-O-METER </b><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 12.1px;">👏👏👏👏</span></div>
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<i>Vandal </i>is a great cherry red which I think would suit a wide range of skin tones. A little thinner than the rest of the colours in the collection, the almost-crelly texture is what I prefer my reds to be like. I think it makes them a little more luxe for whatever reason.<br />
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<b style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 12.1px; font-style: italic;">FLAIL-O-METER </b><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 12.1px;">👏👏👏</span></div>
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Since <i>Spray My Name </i>is billed as a topper, I thought I'd showcase it on top of the rest of the colours in the collection, as well as by itself. Toppers aren't usually my thing since I doodle on my nails so much but I think the mix of micro glitter and glitter pieces creates a really cool splatter effect like spray paint. On the thumb is two coats of the polish by itself. On the rest of the digits, it's just one coat. I applied the topper with the nail polish brush, not a sponge and it looks pretty evenly distributed.<br />
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Thoughts on the collection? I think each shade is individually good and can be purchased as stand alone shades. You can see in the final photo that all of the colours tone in together so you can definitely create some cool nail art using them all (which I plan to do!)<br />
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My picks from the collection would be <i>Flylac </i>and <i>Bullion Bling</i>. Despite application issues, I love the punch of colour and slight shimmer in <i>Flylac</i>. I'm a bit of a magpie so <i>Bullion Bling </i>would have always been a winner for me.<br />
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The SoFly collection is available from Models Own stores and online <a href="https://www.modelsownit.com/product/8263" target="_blank">HERE</a> now and are £4.99. Which is your favourite? Let me know what you think in the comments below and be sure to check out all the social meeds, until next time!<br />
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Flails and Nailshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14337131801926055018noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-808355645028585487.post-71488429435893040982017-04-17T18:05:00.002+01:002017-04-17T18:05:28.436+01:00iZ Beauty of London Liquid Gold Chrome Powder* - ReviewIt's only a few months since the nail craze had dominated our insta feeds but I've finally given chrome powder a go. I was sent a few bits by iZ Beauty of London to try out and I thought this was as best an opportunity to give chrome nails a go.<br />
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I'll say this from the get-go, my feelings are...mixed.<br />
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I followed the instructions given on their website (<a href="http://izbeauty.co.uk/Iz-Beauty-of-London/Mirror-Chrome-Powders/liquid-gold-chrome?limit=100" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">HERE</a>). I used a black base since this seems to be the most effective colour to give a true colour payoff for many chrome powders. </div>
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The instructions say to use either a silicon/sponge applicator or rubber glove to apply the powder to the nail. All I had was a sponge applicator I managed to scavenge from an eye shadow palette. I might have been using too much product but this process is MESSY. I don't understand how there are so many pictures of freshly applied chrome nails with little to no mess. A week later I still have some powder in little nooks and crannies of my fingers.</div>
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<i style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 12.1px;">FLAIL-O-METER </i><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: verdana, geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 12.1px;">👏👏👏</span></div>
Anyway, the powder in the jar was a very warm gold and I was hoping the colour pay off would look similar on top of black. While my nails looked chrome and reflective, it's almost an antique gold with a bit of a green tone. While this still looks nice, it's not what I expected.<br />
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I planned to post another picture of the powder on top of different gel colours but the results were again, mixed. I loved it on a berry shade (which I might repeat in the future) as well as a peach shade but my other nails were patchy and not appealing at all.<br />
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Like I said before, I don't know whether it was my application, the products I used or the powder itself but the chrome powder appears to be a little hit and miss depending on the base colour and brand of gel colour (although I used the same no-wipe topcoat for them all *shrug*)<br />
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iZ Beauty Liquid Gold Chrome Powder is £6 for 1g and available from their website <a href="http://izbeauty.co.uk/Iz-Beauty-of-London/Mirror-Chrome-Powders/liquid-gold-chrome?limit=100" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">HERE</a>. This might not seem like a lot but a little powder does go a long way. My collection of gel polish is not big by any stretch so I might experiment with different colours and brands and see what this powder can do. If you're curious about chrome nails, it's not much to spend to give it a go and I am intrigued by the other colours available, but I'm not rushing off to buy them right now.<br />
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Thank you to iZ Beauty for letting me give the Liquid Gold Chrome Powder a go. Let me know what you think of the whole chrome nail business, do you like it or loathe it?<br />
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I have another post featuring some iZ Beauty products later in the week and I got on with them a LOT better so look forward to that!<br />
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Be sure to follow on all of the social meeds, until next time!<br />
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Flails and Nailshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14337131801926055018noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-808355645028585487.post-14887945650557944302017-04-07T08:00:00.000+01:002017-04-07T08:00:11.015+01:00Taylor Nails Gel Polish* - Swatches and ReviewI have the pleasure of showing you guys a new brand of gel polish which is local to me. <a href="https://www.taylornails.org/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Taylor Nails</a> is a gel polish brand started by the family behind Northern Ireland's Young Nails franchise. The brand is an affordable three week wear gel system with an opening collection of 20 cool colours.<br />
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In case you didn't know, I took a course last year with Young Nails to qualify in acrylic nails (I should really write up that blog post) and when Taylor Nails launched, the lovely girls behind the scenes let me choose some shades to try out and show you guys. I've got swatches of four different shades to show you so let's hop to it!<br />
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All of the colours were swatched with three thin coats and topped with the brand's no-wipe top coat!<br />
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<i>FLAIL-O-METER </i><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "verdana" , "geneva" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.1px;">👏👏👏👏</span></div>
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<i><a href="https://www.taylornails.org/products/20-tn" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">20</a> </i>- This peachy coral is the perfect spring/summer shade to get you in the holiday mood. Like a lot of lighter, more pastel shades, the first and second coats are a little patchy but by the third, you get opacity.</div>
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<i>FLAIL-O-METER </i><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "verdana" , "geneva" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.1px;">👏👏👏👏👏</span></div>
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<i><a href="https://www.taylornails.org/products/114-tn" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">114</a> </i>- What goes beautifully with coral? Baby blue! I couldn't resist trying out this shade as well. Like <i>20</i>, the first two coats are a little patchy but full opacity comes with the third coat.</div>
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<i>FLAIL-O-METER </i><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "verdana" , "geneva" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.1px;">👏👏👏👏</span></div>
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<a href="https://www.taylornails.org/products/272-tn" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">227</a><i> </i>- I wanted to try a red from the range and my eye went immediately to this gorgeous pillar-box red with pink/purple flakies. This shade is almost like a crelly texture and was a lot more opaque from the start compared to the previous swatches. The way the light catches the flakies in the polish is truly lovely.</div>
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<i>FLAIL-O-METER </i><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "verdana" , "geneva" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.1px;">👏👏👏👏👏</span></div>
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<i><a href="https://www.blogger.com/"><span id="goog_1934720102"></span>217<span id="goog_1934720103"></span></a></i> - I couldn't sample Taylor Nails without trying out a glitter. I was torn between this rose gold glitter and a blue shade but this one won out. As you can see, three coats of the glitter provides pretty good coverage but it isn't fully opaque. You could layer this on top of a nude or pink shade to get that stronger base. The colour shift of the glitter in the light is lovely as well.</div>
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All of the formulations were quite thick, with the glitter shade being the thickest. This is par for the course when it comes to gel polish so you need to know how to apply gel polish to get the most out of these shades. All bottles are 15ml, which is a pretty good amount of product. You can see the colour of the polish through a little window on the front of the bottle, making the shade easily identifiable without having to open the bottle.</div>
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Taylor Nails polishes cure under LED light in 30 seconds and under UV light in 60-90 seconds. I used my Mylee LED light to cure and had no problems. The No-Wipe Top Coat doesn't leave any residue and helps even out the colour on the nail.</div>
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Each of the polishes (as well as the Taylor Nails base and top coat) are £10.20 each and are available to buy from <a href="https://www.taylornails.org/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">their website</a>, as well as in the Young Nails NI shop on Holly Industrial Estate (Kennedy Way) At the moment, they are only available for delivery to the UK.</div>
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I love all the shades but the baby blue and the glitter would probably be my absolute favourites. I think I'll be back down to pick up some more soon enough.</div>
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Which shade is your favourite? I hope you like these gel polish posts as much as my usual content. I like expanding the interests of the blog and I hope you do too :D</div>
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As always, follow me on all social media, until next time.</div>
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Flails and Nailshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14337131801926055018noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-808355645028585487.post-28252827099141159762017-03-31T08:00:00.000+01:002017-03-31T08:00:04.295+01:00Barry M Molten Metal SS17* - Swatches and ReviewAnother day, another blog post. This time I'm really excited to show you the new additions to the Molten Metal collection by Barry M. They caused a storm on social media when they were previewed during Barry M's Press Day a month or so ago. I'm so pumped to try them out and tell you what I think. Big thanks to Barry M for sending me these lovelies to show you guys :D<br />
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Also, in today's post, I'm introducing THE FLAIL-O-METER! Just a little fun way to show you how EXCITED I was by the polish.<br />
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All of the swatches are three thin coats followed by a layer of top coat. The polishes feature Barry M's signature wide brush so application was pretty easy.<br />
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<a name='more'></a>So which one should we start off with...<br />
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<b style="font-style: italic;">FLAIL-O-METER </b>👏👏👏👏👏</div>
<i>Holographic Lights </i>- I think we can all agree that this is the most hyped polish from the new Molten Metal release. This STUNNING holographic polish is like having unicorn nails. I was like a magpie when I had this shade on, I just couldn't stop staring! I will say that you need to make sure each coat is dry before you apply the next as the shimmer can move and shift, making it a bit patchy. As long as you take your time, you can get that holographic realness without having to deal with glitters or gel, and for only £3.99!<br />
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<i><b>FLAIL-O-METER </b></i>👏👏👏👏</div>
<i>Blue Glacier </i>- Serving you Queen Elsa realness! This blue shade is more like the original Molten Metal polishes. You get a real mirror finish with the rest of these shades. Not quite chrome but a foil finish, which I still love. Again, be sure all coats are dry before putting on the next, the same as any shimmer.<br />
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<b><i>FLAIL-O-METER</i> </b>👏👏👏👏</div>
<i>Pink Ice </i>- If you were hoping Copper Mine in the last Molten Metal drop was a little more...well, rosy, then this is the one for you. Pink Ice is lighter and more like rose gold. A popular one, I'm sure!<br />
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<i><b>FLAIL-O-METER </b></i>👏👏👏👏</div>
<i>Gold Rush</i> - Can we talk about how hard it is to find a warm-toned gold polish?!? I'm always happy when I come across one and Gold Rush is a stunner. It's a duochrome so not only do you get this lovely warm gold but in certain light, you can see some pink come through as well. It's a little different from the rest of the collection but no less gorgeous.<br />
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<i><b>FLAIL-O-METER </b></i>👏👏👏</div>
<i>Black Diamond </i>- For any of you goth princesses out there, live your best life with this cool metallic black. The shimmer turns the black to a dark grey, softening it a little and elevating your standard black polish to something a little more. I think this would be a good base for a galaxy mani as well.<br />
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<b>But should I get them? </b>I really like them all. They're all different enough from the polishes from the first collection that you're not doubling up on anything. If I had to recommend a few...I'd go for <i>Holographic Lights </i>and <i>Blue Glacier</i>...and <i>Gold Rush. </i>I definitely think <i>Holographic Lights </i>will be the most popular shade from the collection because it delivers on its name and is a true holographic polish. I love <i>Blue Glacier </i>because I've always dreamt of having a foil-like turquoise shade in my stash (maybe next time Barry M?) and this is the closest I've ever gotten to it. I couldn't not choose <i>Gold Rush </i>because a warm-toned gold is so hard to come by, especially a non-sheer one as well.<br />
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I wear-tested these polishes with a top coat because I wanted to get longevity out of my manicure. Shimmers and foils are notorious for chipping easily. I got three days of wear before my first big chip and after that, tip wear became noticable. Just be sure to wrap the tip of your nail in the polish and if you want a longer wear manicure, top up you nails every other day with a thin coat.<br />
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As you can see from the swatches, removal can be a little tricky. If you're patient you can use the soaking method, like you're taking off glitter polish and take it off after soaking your nails for about 15-20 minutes with cotton pads soaked in remover. Expect to have some shimmer lingering around your cuticles for the next day or so after removal.<br />
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You can pick up the Spring/Summer 17 Molten Metal polishes from <a href="https://www.barrym.com/product/Molten-Metals" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Barry M's website</a> NOW or Superdrug from 5th April and Boots from 12th April for £3.99.<br />
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Which is your favourite? Let me know in the comments below and be sure to follow me on the social media sites below, until next time :D<br />
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Flails and Nailshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14337131801926055018noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-808355645028585487.post-76952863479966686602017-03-29T18:54:00.000+01:002017-03-29T18:54:09.882+01:00Roxanne Campbell First Impressions and Swatches*For today's post, I've got swatches of two of <a href="http://www.roxannecampbell.com/shop/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Roxanne Campbell's nail lacquers</a>, straight from her first collection of high quality nail polishes. For those unfamiliar, Roxanne Campbell is a well-known nail artist and manicurist who has worked at New York and London Fashion Week, as well as for a host of brands and publications. She has launched her own nail polish line, hoping to fill a gap in the market she saw for luxury, fashion forward colours. The polishes are 3-free and claim to be one coat wonders. I've got Expensive Taste (a wine/berry shade) and Stormy Weather (mid-grey) to show you guys and to fill you in on my first impressions.<br />
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So this is Expensive Taste, or what my Mummy would call, a rich bitch shade! It has a crelly texture to it so it's somewhat sheer but buildable. If you want opacity with one coat, this isn't the ticket. This swatch is 3 thin coats and a layer of top coat. Its own finish is quite glossy but because of the crelly nature of the polish, I think a top coat is needed to even things out. It reminds me of the one and only Chanel nail polish I have (Pirate) and I do like these sort of semi-sheer dark shades. They look really classy to me, which goes perfectly with the name. In this instance, I love the shade and the finish is pretty cool but it doesn't live up to the one coat promise of the range.<br />
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Stormy Weather is one of those shades that I'd reach for if I didn't know what to paint my nails. It's a great neutral. A cooler-toned grey, it suits my ghostly skin tone well and I think it would be great for any cool or neutral toned people out there. I did find the application of this polish a little tricky. It's a creme and I had hoped it would be a one-coater, as promised on the website but my first coat was a little patchy. This could have been my amateur application of the shade but I went in with another coat, slicked on a bit of top coat and here we are.<br />
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The brand promises to bring a little touch of luxe to your life for £10 but does it live up to the promise? The bottle itself reminds me a lot of Chanel or Dior polish. That square shape is kind of synonymous with luxury nail polish so design-wise, Roxanne Campbell nail lacquers tick that box. Overall, application was easy enough, The brush is wide enough so you can use the three swipe method without having to reach back into the bottle for more product.<br />
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Are the polishes worth it? In terms of wear, I got a few days out of my Stormy Weather manicure before I changed it up (I'm terrible at wear testing) but there was only a little wear at the tips of my nails. I'd say these shades, and the Roxanne Campbell range, is for the nail polish fan who isn't buying every new release but wants to buy high quality polishes ever so often, in classic and fun shades.<br />
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Big thanks to Roxanne Campbell for sending these polishes to me to try! Let me know what you think in the comments below and be sure to follow me on social media, until next time :D<br />
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Flails and Nailshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14337131801926055018noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-808355645028585487.post-6886775661133504802017-03-16T08:00:00.000+00:002017-03-16T08:00:29.608+00:00Gatsby Inspired Nail Art feat. Meebox Feb 2017*Another month, another Meebox to play with! This month's box featured a Great Gatsby theme, complete with appropriate glittery gold, black and a lovely purple polish, as well as nail stencils and gold caviar beads. I was in two minds when I first opened my box because I LOVED the polishes that were included (<a href="http://www.uk.littleondine.com/all-colours/l025" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Little Ondine Copper Spark</a>, <a href="https://www.maggieanne.co.uk/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Maggie Anne Pearl</a> and <a href="https://colorclub.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Color Club Midnight Mulberry</a>) but I'd never tried nail stencils or caviar beads before (even though I've had a bottle of Models Own gold caviar beads languishing in my helmer for years).<br />
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I tried to think of designs that would incorporate all elements and let's just say things didn't go to plan...<br />
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As a newcomer to both nail stencils and caviar beads, I was keen to use them but the universe was against me (or more likely my own ineptness...)<br />
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I started off with a base of Little Ondine Copper Spark. I can confirm this polish lives up to the brand's peel-off guarantee. It's a gorgeous shade and the glitter distribution isn't too mad from the brush, so no need to get the sponge on. One thing I will say is that it does tend to clump a lot on the brush, making it a little tricky to apply because there's SO MUCH product on the brush. I think this is to do with the formulation which makes it peel off. It's not that bad but it takes some care to make sure you don't apply too much to the nail at once.</div>
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Here is my nail art featuring all three polishes from the box. Where are the caviar beads and nail stencils you cry? Well...I had MULTIPLE ideas for incorporating both elements. I was determined to use the glitter base with Maggie Anne Pearl on top with the nail stencils, to give that classic Gatsby vibe that so many other nail bloggers managed LOL I think I tried it three times in different configurations and I just could not get them to work for me. I followed the instructions, watched videos but for whatever reason, they just never looked tidy for me. I think my nails might be a little too curved to get that really clean effect from them (or I'll just keep telling myself that to make me feel better) </div>
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My next idea was to stamp a graphic pattern using the black polish to give a similar effect. I was going to hand paint it but I thought I should stick with that clean effect of stamping or stencilling. I am not an accomplished stamper and I think this might be the first stamped manicure on my blog. I really love the diversity of imagery you get on stamping plates and how they can transform nails so quickly but I'm still a hand painting sort of gal so don't worry! I used a Moyou Hipster plate with a cube pattern. So I applied the black polish, scraped and tried to pick up on the stamper. It wouldn't pick up! Again, I tried again and again but no luck. I was starting to feel like this was NEVER going to happen.</div>
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I decided to try the purple shade just to test whether it was me being the worst nail artist or whether the polish isn't suited to stamping. Luckily for me, the gorgeous Color Club shade did pick up on the stamper. My application of the stamp is...varied to say the least. Like I said, I hardly ever stamp so I'm just pleased I managed a full hand that roughly resembles what was on the plate. To incorporate the black polish I just decided to do black tips since this is what I was planning with my original design but with the purple. At this point, I just wanted to be done so didn't even go near the caviar beads, knowing they'd probably spill all over my table.</div>
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Now, my nail art troubles aside, did I like the box? I liked all of the polishes. All three are shades I'd use again and it's always great to try new brands (Little Ondine and Maggie Anne are new to me in terms of usage, not *awareness*) For me, caviar beads are just a little too fussy for me to use. I use studs sometimes but not a lot so caviar beads are just a bit of a faff. The nail stencils were interesting to try and perhaps practice makes perfect but they just didn't work for me.</div>
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<a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/BQ3a-5tBaTN/" style="color: black; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none; word-wrap: break-word;" target="_blank">This copper 😍😍😍 I just opened this month's @meeboxuk live on here! Not sure I'll be doing it again any time soon, maybe something with a little more notice lol but swipe through to check out this month's offerings (who else is loving the new slideshow feature?)</a></div>
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A post shared by Rebecca (@flailsandnails) on <time datetime="2017-02-23T19:32:34+00:00" style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px;">Feb 23, 2017 at 11:32am PST</time></div>
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The RRPs of the items in the box are:</div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Little Ondine "Copper Spark" £11.00<br />
Maggie Ann "Pearl" £10.50<br />
Color Club "Midnight Mulberry" £6.99<br />
Nail Mail stencils £4.95<br />
Sparkly Nails Gold Beads - £1.99</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">For the polishes alone, the £20 price tag of a Meebox is worth it and I really liked the theme. With these sort of subscription boxes, you'll always have the chance of not getting on with something but I'm pleased with the majority of the box.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">You can get yourself a Meebox monthly subscription for £20 or a three month subscription for £54 from <a href="https://meebox.co.uk/subscribe/55266901_MeeBox" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">here</a>. Thank you to the lovely ladies from Meebox for sending me this month's goodies to try out, they are much appreciated!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">What do you guys think of my nail art and my attempt at stamping? Make sure you follow me on all my social media channels, I post a lot more on Instagram and Twitter these days (I'll explain that soon) but for now, until next time!</span></div>
Flails and Nailshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14337131801926055018noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-808355645028585487.post-53573908771441120082017-02-27T08:00:00.000+00:002017-02-27T08:00:02.753+00:00Essie Retro Revival 2 - Swatches & Review*Hi everyone, I've got an epic swatch post for you guys. The lovely people over at Essie were kind enough to send me their latest Retro Revival collection, which is only available until the 7th March (Superdrug) and 14th March (Boots). It's inspired by the bright lights of Las Vegas, where Essie was first launched 35 years ago.<br />
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<b>Pure Chiffon </b><i style="font-weight: bold;">- </i>A peachy, cream nude with a slight shimmer, this is quite a sheer polish. One or two coats would give a nice wash of colour without looking like a block colour. On my skin tone, I think the colour is a touch ageing and a little old-fashioned but I think on darker skin tones, this would look a lot nicer.</div>
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<b>Sweet Tart </b><i style="font-weight: bold;">- </i>A gorgeous greige shade with the same sort of shimmer you see in Pure Chiffon, Sweet Tart is a great day-to-day shade for anyone who likes their nails done but not too flashy. A little different to a standard nude or grey, it reminds me of Barry M's Mushroom but with a warm, rather than a cool, shimmer.</div>
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<b>Flawless </b><i style="font-weight: bold;">- </i>A baby pink creme, Flawless is a great spring-time polish. It was opaque in two coats but I used a thin third coat just to even everything out.</div>
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<b>Chastity </b><i style="font-weight: bold;">- </i>I would describe this shade as a proper Barbie pink creme, something Trixie Mattel would sport. I needed three thin coats of this because it reacted a little weirdly with my base coat (an OPI peel off if you must know) but the top coat evened everything out in the end. Not one I'd personally sport on a regular basis but a good stock colour to have for nail art.</div>
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<b>Prima Bella </b><i style="font-weight: bold;">- </i>I think this will be one of those marmite polishes, you'll either love it or hate it. As a nail enthusiast, I love it because it is so out there. Again, like Chastity, the pink shimmer wouldn't be something I'd wear on a day to day basis but I think it would be a great base for nail art (in fact I did use it as a base, for my Valentine's nail art I sported for nearly two weeks!) This one was opaque in two coats but again, I used a third to even things out.</div>
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<b>Bold Beauty </b><i style="font-weight: bold;">- </i>Last but not least, Bold Beauty is a gorgeous burgundy wine crelly. Three coats give it that *sheer opacity* which categorizes a crelly. This is probably my pick from the entire collection but that might be because I'm still in winter mode.</div>
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<b>Final Thoughts? </b>Essie have brought back six classic shades that will appeal to many different age groups and skin tones. For me, some shades are a bit more flattering on my skin tone than others and I think on my ghostly hands, some can read a little old-fashioned. My picks from the collection would be Sweet Tart and Bold Beauty.</div>
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Over on instagram, you would have seen my nail art using these polishes but here they are for you to see</div>
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<a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/BQgUw-fDohw/" style="color: black; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none; word-wrap: break-word;" target="_blank">💖💖💖💖💖💖💖 Meant to post this earlier but got distracted by last night's First Dates! But here's my totally OTT Valentine's mani using 3 shades from the limited edition Return to Retro Revival by @essieuk @essiepolish (available in @bootsuk and @superdrugloves for a limited time) I'll be spending my Valentine's nursing a food baby, shopping on @monki and watching 90s rom coms bc I'm trash BYYYEEEEEEEEE ---------------------------- #nailart #nails #polish #nailswag #notd #nailsofig #nailsofinstagram #nails2inspire #nailspiration #nailstyle #nailartofficial #nailporn #nailbar #nailaddict #beauty #bbloggers #nailedit #nailitdaily #instanails #thenailartstory #diy #nailpromote #nailstagram #essie #pastel #retrorevival #valentinesday #pink #cute #essielove</a></div>
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A post shared by Rebecca (@flailsandnails) on <time datetime="2017-02-14T20:15:42+00:00" style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px;">Feb 14, 2017 at 12:15pm PST</time></div>
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<a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/BQVsp8DjTrb/" style="color: black; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none; word-wrap: break-word;" target="_blank">Ready for a little gif tutorial? 💖 Check out how to do this simple but cute nail art using the @essieuk @essiepolish Retro Revival shades, available for a limited time in @bootsuk and @superdrugloves! I'll have swatches of the collection as well as another nail art look next week, just in time for Valentine's Day! Let me know if you like this sort of post in the comments 😄 -------------------------- #nailart #nails #polish #nailswag #notd #nailsofig #nailsofinstagram #nails2inspire #nailspiration #nailstyle #nailartofficial #nailporn #nailbar #nailaddict #beauty #bbloggers #nailarttutorial #nailtutorial #nailedit #nailitdaily #instanails #thenailartstory #diy #nailpromote #nailstagram #essie #pastel #retrorevival #video #essielove</a></div>
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A post shared by Rebecca (@flailsandnails) on <time datetime="2017-02-10T17:12:48+00:00" style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px;">Feb 10, 2017 at 9:12am PST</time></div>
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The Return to Retro shades by Essie are still available from <a href="http://superdrug.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Superdrug</a> and <a href="http://boots.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Boots</a> but for a limited time (7th Superdrug/14th Boots)</div>
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Which is your favourite shade? Let me know in the comments below! Until next time :D</div>
Flails and Nailshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14337131801926055018noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-808355645028585487.post-10526795606533611902017-01-17T08:00:00.000+00:002017-01-17T08:00:00.205+00:00Barry M Frosted Cupcakes Collection* - Swatches and ReviewToday I've got one of the first new launches of 2017! Barry M's new Frosted Cupcakes collection is a set of four pastel shades with delicate iridescent flakies in the polish. I think it's a cool little twist on the traditional pastel shades that are released at the start of the year. I'm a sucker for pastels AND glitter so let's see how these new shades stack up to ye olde Spring faithful, the pastel creme.<br />
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All of the following swatches are three thin coats and no top coat as I want you to see what the texture of the polish is like.<br />
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<b>Barry M </b><i>Marshmallow </i>- A light nude, I was a little afraid that this would wash me out but the paleness of the polish isn't too bad on my ghostly white hands. This would be a great alternative as a base for nail art since the flakies add a cool texture to a manicure.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUnsskM_uZl6ApVS6T85aGpX__nGCOyRDnJjEVSOupoZqsELXPG4UgsKG90Bs3tAsX1FGwWRLcG8PLmKC4Q05tsUuHFmD7AlMv6wOoKUse8RtTclgaQdaIPNEqQ1Yf905S51sayUPW-G-W/s1600/214e.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUnsskM_uZl6ApVS6T85aGpX__nGCOyRDnJjEVSOupoZqsELXPG4UgsKG90Bs3tAsX1FGwWRLcG8PLmKC4Q05tsUuHFmD7AlMv6wOoKUse8RtTclgaQdaIPNEqQ1Yf905S51sayUPW-G-W/s1600/214e.png" /></a></div>
<b>Barry M </b><i>Strawberries and Cream </i>- A pale pink, this shade gives me the perfect mannequin hands without looking too freaky deeky. The flakies are really hard to capture on camera but they give this typically girly shade a cool edge.<br />
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<b>Barry M </b><i>Blue Velvet </i>- A gorgeous baby blue, this shade is another winner. The blue shade makes the flakies look a little greener than in the other shades which is pretty cool. This shade gives me ALL of the Elsa from Frozen vibes, just saying.<br />
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<b>Barry M </b><i>Earl Grey </i>- With this darker shade, the flakies are a little more obvious and have that slightly more green/cool tint like Blue Velvet. It's interesting to see a grey in a Spring collection but I'm all about it.<br />
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Emma Stone/Maison Valentino inspired nail art - Over on instagram, I asked everyone whether I should start off my return to nail art with either recreating Emma Stone's Golden Globes outfit on my nails or my take on Pantone's Colour of the Year Greenery. Once the Frosted Cupcakes collection dropped through my letterbox, my decision was made. I used Strawberries and Cream as the base and <b>Models Own </b><i>Chrome Silver </i>and <i>Pearl </i>for the star and embellishment detail, completing it all with a silver star stud. I topped it with Seche Vite and here we are! What do you think?<br />
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<b>Thoughts? </b>The idea behind the collection is pretty darn cool since I'm partial to applying a flaky top coat on occasion. Application wasn't too bad. The wide brush is present and makes meeting the cuticle pretty easy. Apply in thin coats rather than thick as it seems to dry very fast and get tacky easily. You don't want to spend too long working with it. It tends to get a little thin on the tip so it might be worth doing an extra coat just on the top. With the flakies, the polish does have a texture and some glitter pieces can stick up at the ends (as you can see in some swatches) Beware of this when applying and use a top coat, be it matte or gloss.<br />
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Barry M's Frosted Cupcakes collection is available from Superdrug and Boots from Wednesday 18th January 2017, priced at £3.99.<br />
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<b>Which is your favourite? </b>Mine is Earl Grey because this girl just loves a grey polish. Let me know which is yours in the comments below, on social media (links at the side) and until next time:DFlails and Nailshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14337131801926055018noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-808355645028585487.post-45098471561276522762016-11-21T08:00:00.000+00:002016-11-21T08:00:00.810+00:00Kiko Milano Holiday Collection 2016* - Pleasant Silver Rose and Rich GolI think this week will be known as Glitter Week since it'll pretty much take over the blog for the forseeable future. Today I have swatches of two of the polishes from Kiko Milano's Limited Edition Holiday Collection. Big thanks to Wizard Publicity for sending over the polishes for me to try.<br />
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The packaging is designed by Ross Lovegrove, who also designed the packaging for the last limited edition collection, Neo Noir (which I still have to show you!) The shape is inspired by *feminine sensuality* and nature.<br />
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The two shades I have are Rich Gold and Pleasant Silver Rose. You can also get the shade Full Red to complete the Holiday trio. The below swatches are two thin coats and a top coat.<br />
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As you can see, the glitters don't have holographic bits unlike a lot of glitters coming out this season (you'll see them soon!) With two coats, you can get decent coverage and the glitter distributes evenly across the nail. It's a smooth glitter as well so don't be worrying about it being lumpy.<br />
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I used a glitter peel-off base coat so I can't say how easy it comes off using polish remover. I'd suggest getting a peel-off base coat really, it is a GAME CHANGER<br />
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You can't go wrong with a gold or silver (well, slightly pink silver) polish around Christmas. Layered on top of a red creme or even a gold or silver polish would pack a punch.<br />
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The Kiko Milano Limited Edition Holiday nail polishes are £6.00 each and can be purchased from <a href="http://www.kikocosmetics.com/en-gb/new/holiday-collection/holiday-collection-2016/Colour-Glitter-Nail-Lacquer/p-KC04204011" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Kiko Online</a> or in Kiko Stores.<br />
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What's your go to Holiday polish? Let me know in the comments below and be sure to like, subscribe and follow on all social media (links to the right) Until next time :DFlails and Nailshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14337131801926055018noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-808355645028585487.post-36352649808140772332016-10-28T08:00:00.000+01:002016-10-28T09:50:03.960+01:00October 2016 Meebox*: Sugar Skull RealnessSo another month, another Meebox to show you guys! Since this month is all about Halloween, the contents of the box all help create the most perfect Sugar Skull/Dia de los Muertos manicure.<br />
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This month's really spoiled us. It came with three polish shades (<i><a href="http://www.edgenails.co.uk/annika-nail-polish-white-swan.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">White Swan </a></i>by Annika Nail Colour from The Edge (RRP £4.20), <i><a href="http://soap-dodger.co.uk/taking-a-dip-creme-polish" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Taking a Dip</a></i> from 'Ard as Nails (RRP £3.50), and <i><a href="https://deco.miami/products/miley-whats-good" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Miley What's Good</a> </i>from Deco Miami (RRP $12.50/£11), <a href="http://wah-london.com/nailartpens/black" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Wah London Nail Art Pen in Black</a> (RRP £7.00), <a href="http://www.charliesnailart.co.uk/flower-nail-art-flimo-100pcs/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Flower Fimo Pieces from Charlie's Nail Art</a> (RRP £1) and <a href="http://www.sparkly-nails.co.uk/Nail-Art-Detail-Brush_p_138.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">NBS-2 Nail Art Brush from Sparkly Nails</a> (RRP £1.99))<br />
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One of my most recent posts reviewed Annika Nail Colour polishes so it was good to see a familiar brand but the rest, I have not tried before. The white polish from The Edge took a while to become opaque. I used three thin coats and although there was still a bit of patchiness, I knew my design on top would cover this. Because of that, I'd say White Swan is a good base for nail art but maybe not for a fast, colour block manicure.<br />
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The 'Ard as Nails shade has a lovely shimmer to it and I want to see it on as a block colour. It has a thinner formula so it wasn't the best for nail art but it is a buildable polish and a bit different from anything I have.<br />
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I've never come across Deco Miami Nail Lacquer before but HOW CUTE IS THIS BOTTLE!???!! It's only 5ml but the packaging is to die for. It reminds me of Flossgloss but the name and shade had me at hello. I don't usually sport just pink nails but for this shade, I might make an exception.<br />
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For the nail art, I just went a bit freestyle on all of my fingers bar the middle one. I probably should have planned it out a little better but in the end, I kind of dig the totally random nature of it all. It was my first time using the Wah Nail Art Pen in quite a while and it was fantastic to have that little bit more flexibility when creating shapes and design.<br />
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I used the Sparkly Nails nail art brush for the blue and pink details. I'm all about the detail brush and although it did the job well although I would have loved if it was just a bit thinner.<br />
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I added the Fimo Flowers on with some top coat to secure them. For visual effect, they definitely create an impact but in terms of practicality, you're going to lose them from your nail if they arent encapsulated or glued down with strong nail glue. You better get that 'gram though first LOL<br />
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As always, the Meebox is full of gorgeous surprises and I can't wait to see what everyone else has created with its contents. Thanks to the gals from Meebox for sending this my way and letting me get my Halloween on even sooner. Check out <a href="https://meebox.co.uk/shop/all/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Meebox's website for next month's offering!</a><br />
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What are you sporting this Halloween weekend? Let me know what you think below and be sure to like, subscribe and follow Flails and Nails EVERYWHERE. Until next time :)Flails and Nailshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14337131801926055018noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-808355645028585487.post-44282002192753770912016-10-17T08:00:00.000+01:002016-10-17T08:00:14.453+01:00Halloween Emoji Nail ArtSay hello to the first official Halloween post on Flails and Nails for 2016! This nail art is pretty straightforward. Everyone on <a href="http://twitter.com/flailsandnails" target="_blank">Twitter</a> (myself included, follow why don't ya ;P) changes their name to inject a little Halloween spirit into things and this includes emojis! I thought popping a few Halloween-related emojis on my nails would be a fun way to welcome the season onto the blog.<br />
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I chose to follow the Twitter emoji designs since this is where the idea spawned from. The Twitter emojis are pretty 2-D looking and I was going to leave them without any outlining but I thought they needed to pop more on the nail, hence the not-really-accurate black detailing.<br />
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I used way too many polishes for this look so if you'd like the name of one specifically, let me know. I did use Nina Pro French Ivory as my base. My nails are still a little on the beat-up side after my foray into acrylics and gel polish so while I wanted a bare base, I needed something just to smooth things over. Think of it as medium coverage foundation over a slightly blemished face.</div>
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What do you guys think of the emoji look? Let me know in the comments below and be sure to like, subscribe and follow me on social media (links in the sidebar) Until next time!</div>
Flails and Nailshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14337131801926055018noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-808355645028585487.post-13388699904345602342016-10-14T10:24:00.001+01:002016-10-14T10:24:30.228+01:00Blogger's First Gel Manicure with Just Beauty UK*So I have a first for the blog, gel polish! Unbelievably, I've never had a gel manicure in all my time as a nail blogger. Since I change my nails so often, I never really saw the point but when Just Beauty UK got in touch to see if I'd like to try out their Bluesky Peel-Off Gel range, I thought why not? Since I was already learning about acrylic and am considering expanding my nail knowledge, I thought an at-home gel manicure would be the best way to get introduced to the system.<br />
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I was sent all the accoutrements needed for a quality at-home gel manicure:<br />
<a href="https://www.justbeauty.co.uk/nails-c53/nail-dryers-c4573/mylee-pro-elite-4-1-led-white-nail-lamp-dryer-touch-sense-gel-polish-powerful-p5235" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Mylee LED Gel Lamp</a><br />
<a href="https://www.justbeauty.co.uk/nails-c53/gel-polish-c96/bluesky-peel-off-series-pb-range-collection-top-base-combined-10ml-bottle-p5697" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Bluesky Peel Off Base and Top Coat</a><br />
Bluesky Peel Off Gel Colour Polishes in <a href="https://www.justbeauty.co.uk/nails-c53/gel-polish-c96/bluesky-peel-off-series-pb-range-collection-mint-icecream-pb23-10ml-bottle-p5720" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Mint Ice Cream</a>, <a href="https://www.justbeauty.co.uk/nails-c53/gel-polish-c96/bluesky-peel-off-series-pb-range-collection-french-riviera-pb22-10ml-bottle-p5721" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">French Riviera</a> and <a href="https://www.justbeauty.co.uk/nails-c53/gel-polish-c96/bluesky-peel-off-series-pb-range-collection-goldrush-pb18-10ml-bottle-p5718" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Goldrush</a><br />
<a href="https://www.justbeauty.co.uk/nails-c53/nail-accessories-c101/mylee-lint-free-wipes-pack-of-200-p4708" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Mylee lint-free wipes</a><br />
<a href="https://www.justbeauty.co.uk/nails-c53/nail-accessories-c101/mylee-nail-prep-wipe-250-ml-p2829" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Nail prep and wipe</a><br />
<a href="https://www.justbeauty.co.uk/nails-c53/accessories-c139/mylee-crystal-nile-file-135mm-white-p4504" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Crystal nail file</a><br />
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The process of applying gel polish is so different from normal polish. I didn't realize this but I quickly got into the habit of thin, thin coats to make sure the end manicure isn't too thick. With a quick cure time under the LED lamp, I was finished a little *too* fast. My inexperience showed as it turns out I didn't cure the polish for long enough. This might have effected the removal process...<br />
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A revelation I had was doing nail art with gel polish. Since it doesn't dry until its cured, the polish doesn't go tacky as you keep applying it over all your nails and there's no smudging! I used three thin coats of each colour for opacity.<br />
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I wanted to do some simple nail art which would showcase all the colours I received. I really love the mint shade in particular but the denim blue is quite unique and so is the cool green pewter shade. I don't even know how to describe the nail art, filigree/giraffe print? Who knows but I think it looks pretty cool.<br />
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DOES IT PEEL? Well, technically it does. The instructions for the removal of the polish involves putting your nails in hot water for about 30 seconds and peeling the polish off gently using a cuticle pusher or orange stick. I did this with my thumb on my right hand and I did struggle to get the polish off all of the nail. I got about half way before it didn't want to budge any more. I eventually got it all off but my nail was quite dry and a little bit damaged. I tried again with my index finger, heating my water up a bit more. Again, I got about half way up the nail before I started to struggle. The same happened again, a bit of dryness and flakiness but not as much as the thumb.<br />
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Since the removal wasn't really saving me time, I decided to buff off the top coat and apply acetone-soaked pads and tin foil and soak the polish off. After 15 minutes, I scraped off what I could, without digging into the nail. 5 minutes later, I was able to scrape even more off and after another 5 minutes, all of the polish was off. There was very little dryness from this removal method and I do think the 'peel-off' nature of the polish helped it soak faster than other gel polishes.<br />
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I buffed my nails gently to remove any stubborn bits of polish. I was a bit worried about wrecking my nails by using gel and I could see from my attempts at peeling the polishes that safe removal is key to healthy nails. As I mentioned before, it turns out that I wasn't curing the polish long enough. I had it in my head that it was 1 minute but the website recommends two. I'll definitely be trying the polish again with the CORRECT curing time and seeing if the removal is any easier for it.<br />
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Final verdict? I think gel polish will be a great option for holidays, when I just want a block colour and for doing other people's nails. The peel off polish didn't remove as well as I'd hoped but this might be my own fault but it soaks off pretty fast. I loved the speed of the process and once you get the hang of application, your nails look pretty good.<br />
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Big thanks to Just Beauty UK for supplying me with all of these gel polish goodies, I'll definitely be looking into expanding my collection soon!<br />
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What do you think of gel manicures? Let me know in the comments below and be sure to like, subscribe and follow. Until next time :DFlails and Nailshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14337131801926055018noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-808355645028585487.post-2761775192962413902016-10-11T08:00:00.000+01:002016-10-11T09:50:21.184+01:00Annika Nail Polish by The Edge Nails*Hey guys, I've got a bit of news for you! As some of you might know (follow me on <a href="http://instagram.com/flailsandnails" target="_blank">Instagram</a> and <a href="http://twitter.com/flailsandnails" target="_blank">Twitter</a> to know about such japes) I recently started a beginner's course for acrylic nails. Well, I completed the course this Saturday and I PASSED! I have a qualification in nails, who would have thunk it! I'll be blogging about my experiences soon but I just thought I'd share that with you :D<br />
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I've got a new range of polishes to show you guys today. Annika Nail Polish from The Edge Nails is a range of 30 shades ranging from neutrals, pastels, brights and metallics. When asked what sort of shades I would like to try, I wanted some great autumnal colours.<br />
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Just in case you don't know, The Edge Nails are one of the leading professional nail care brands and sell mostly to wholesalers, nail salons and technicians. All of their pricing on their website is price + VAT so bear this in mind when checking it out!<br />
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L-R: <i>Cafe au Lait</i>, <i>Clean Slate</i>, <i>Wild Side </i>and <i>Deep Velvet</i></div>
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First off, I really liked the look of these polishes. The matte finish of the square cap gives the polish a bit of a luxe look but don't worry, you can take the cap off to paint more comfortably with the smaller rounded cap underneath. The polishes have a wider brush for application with ease. The formula is a little thinner than I'm used too but this could be down to the fact that there are so many gel-like polishes out this day that I think everything should be a bit thicker. All the swatches below are between two-three coats and no top coat.</div>
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<i><a href="http://www.edgenails.co.uk/professional-nail-care-products/nail-colour/annika-nail-polish/annika-nail-polish-cafe-au-lait.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Cafe au Lait</a></i> - a warm nude, Cafe au Lait will give you perfect mannequin hands to anyone with a bit more colour than me. I was pleasantly surprised that this shade still suited me regardless of my ghostly complexion! It took three coats to get full opacity. It took a few minutes to dry but you can see that it has a nice shine to it.</div>
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<i><a href="http://www.edgenails.co.uk/professional-nail-care-products/nail-colour/annika-nail-polish/annika-nail-polish-clean-slate.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Clean Slate</a></i> - anyone else just love a grey polish? A great alternative to a black, Clean Slate is your standard mid-grey. In person. I thought the two coats was enough but as you can see, there are some patches which would have benefited from another coat.</div>
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<i><a href="http://www.edgenails.co.uk/professional-nail-care-products/nail-colour/annika-nail-polish/annika-nail-polish-wild-side.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Wild Side</a><span id="goog_1437125776"></span><span id="goog_1437125777"></span><a href="https://www.blogger.com/"></a> </i>- If you're looking for a punchy orange for Halloween, then this might be for you. Another three coater, Wild Side may be a little bit much for some people but if you're adventurous then why not give it a go. It has photographed a little more yellow. In real life, it has a touch more red to it.</div>
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<i><a href="http://www.edgenails.co.uk/professional-nail-care-products/nail-colour/annika-nail-polish/annika-nail-polish-deep-velvet.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Deep Velvet</a> </i>- Last but definitely not least, we have Deep Velvet. I actually wore this burgundy metallic shade on my birthday last week and got a few compliments. It's rich, it's shimmery, it's shiny, it's gorgeous. It's winter in a bottle. A three-coater, you won't be disappointed!</div>
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So what do you think of Annika polishes? I thought they were pretty good. A thinner formulation than I'm used to in a world of gel-like polishes, if you have the time to put on the additional coat or two then these are worth checking out. The polishes are £4.20 each and can be bought from The Edge Nails' website <a href="http://www.edgenails.co.uk/professional-nail-care-products/nail-colour/annika-nail-polish.html?limit=36" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">HERE</a>. Thanks to The Edge Nails for sending me these polishes to try. </div>
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Be sure to like, subscribe and follow me on the social media at the side (I'm flailsandnails EVERYWHERE) Until next time guys!</div>
Flails and Nailshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14337131801926055018noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-808355645028585487.post-50600228060957646292016-10-03T12:00:00.000+01:002016-10-03T12:00:03.364+01:00Autumnal Brights feat. Collection 2-Step Solar Shine Gel Polishes*I've got a simple nail art look to share with you guys today. We are at the beginning of October which means the leaves are falling, pumpkin spice lattes are back and its all about those deep, warm shades for autumn nails. I have been sitting on a few polishes by Collection from their Solar Shine gel polish range for a while and since they were quite summery shades, I wanted to challenge myself by creating an autumnal look with mostly bright shades. I was lucky to have the lovely shade <i>Oyster Pearl</i> as a base to give the nail art a chic and seasonally appropriate base.<br />
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By using the red-toned coral shade <i>Carribean Crush</i> as a base for my ditsy floral border, it helps tone down the brightness of the peach coral <i>Just Beachy </i>and the pink <i>Sunset Pink</i>. To create the nail art, I used a striper brush and just applied the red shade randomly across the nail in some sort of floral arrangement. I then layered the pink and peach-coral shades with less intensity to peep through the red.<br />
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Since the red is quite dominant, I think the nail art is quite transitional. An ideal look for those not ready to ditch the summer brights just yet in favour of berries, mustards and greys.<br />
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I can report back on the longevity of the polish as well! As some of you might know, I recently went to Disneyland Paris and I slapped a few coats of Oyster Pearl on my nails before leaving. I wanted something simple and classic since I was rushing around the day before like a headless chicken. I had it on my nails for the entire trip (four days) and a few days after. All in all, I had the polish on for 5 or 6 days and apart from some tip wear, the polish held up well. I'd say its more similar to the Barry M Gellies than the Sunset Curing polishes or Models Own Hypergels. It's not as thick as the latter polishes but it does give you good coverage. At a price point of £3.99, it's a competitor for high street gel effect polishes. But remember, you need the matching top coat to get the full effect of the polish.<br />
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The Collection 2-Step Solar Shine Gel Polishes are available from both <a href="http://www.superdrug.com/c/makeup-nails/b/Collection?resultsForPage=60&q=%3AbestBiz%3Abrand%3A402045&minSel=1.0&maxSel=4.0&minSlider=1.0&maxSlider=4.0&resultsForPage=20&text=#" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Superdrug</a> and Boots and are priced at £3.99 each.<br />
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Are you in full autumnal mood yet? Let me know in the comments below and be sure to like, subscribe and follow me EVERYWHERE. Until next time!Flails and Nailshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14337131801926055018noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-808355645028585487.post-51307538400056061472016-09-18T22:54:00.001+01:002016-09-18T22:54:08.666+01:00Just a little breakHi guys, just to let you know, I've been super busy with work this past week or so and I'm off on holipops *this* week so there's not been much activity on the blog. I'll be back to normal next week and I'll fill you in on my first few weeks on a nail course and of course swatches, nail art and stuff. I post more frequently on <a href="http://twitter.com/flailsandnails" target="_blank">twitter</a> and <a href="http://instagram.com/flailsandnails" target="_blank">instagram </a>so follow me there to keep up to date.<br />
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See you soon!Flails and Nailshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14337131801926055018noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-808355645028585487.post-67367555070116555872016-09-05T08:00:00.000+01:002016-09-05T08:00:15.235+01:00Star Wars Tsum Tsum Nail Art - Inspired by Nancy Mc NailsAnother week, another Disney-themed manicure. This week I've been inspired by the fantastic Nancy of <a href="https://www.instagram.com/nancy_mc/?hl=en" target="_blank">Nancy Mc Nails</a> and her <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/BFzReiwtCLz/?taken-by=nancy_mc&hl=en" target="_blank">Disney Tsum Tsum nail design</a>. She's one of the first nail artists I followed a few years ago and I'm still amazed by the level of detail in her work to this day. This is by no means as good as her manicure but I gave it a good try I'd like to think!<br />
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I wanted to go for a different set of characters and I thought this would be the perfect opportunity to bring out the ol' Star Wars characters. Anyone who knows me knows I am a HUGE fan of the Stars Wars franchise. When the news broke that Disney had bought the rights to Star Wars, I had very mixed emotions but The Force Awakens got me on side.<br />
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If you're not sure what Tsum Tsums are, <a href="http://www.disneystore.co.uk/departments/collections/tsum-tsum" target="_blank">check them out here</a>. Basically, they're stackable plushies which feature a simplistic version of your favourite Disney characters. I hope you can guess who I've decided to put on my fingers but in case you can't, from thumb to little finger: Darth Vader, Jabba the Hut, R2-D2, Princess Leia and Bobba Fett.<br />
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What Tsum Tsums would you put on your nails? Let me know in the comments below and be sure to like, subscribe and follow, until next time!<br />
<br />Flails and Nailshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14337131801926055018noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-808355645028585487.post-40460214793048694882016-09-02T08:00:00.000+01:002016-09-02T08:00:29.497+01:00Kiko Milano Belfast Store Opening!So on the 31st August, the first Kiko Milano store in Ireland opened its doors in Belfast. I was one of the lucky few who got to look around before the shop opened to the public. You guys know I love Kiko nail polishes and my posts about them are consistently my most popular so I was super excited to go check out the shop.<br />
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I arrived an hour before the store opened to the public and the queue was already humongous. I salute the dedication of those first few people in the queue. We don't have a lot of stand-alone cosmetics shops in Belfast so to have a store like Kiko open, it is a real treat for us beauty fans.<br />
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If you're not familiar with Kiko Milano, it's an Italian brand which owns and manages over 800 stand-alone shops around the world. All products are made in Italy, paraben free and hypoallergenic tested. You might expect the price point of products to be quite high yeah? Oh no siree, Kiko is a high street brand, with its Smart Lipsticks and Nail Laquers starting at £2.90. Its price points would be similar to Max Factor or L'Oreal. This picture is from the front table of the store which will permanently host the brand's limited edition collections which are released four times a year. This is Neo Noir, their Autumn/Winter collection.<br />
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I mean, is anyone else salivating over this? They have an extensive range of polishes and you can even swatch them with the nifty cellotape dispenser which is a part of the display. If you're not into polishes as much as I am then you'll fall in love with the rows and rows of lipsticks, eyeshadows, foundations and everything inbetween.<br />
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As part of the Kiko experience, you can have complementary application. Complementary means complementary, no hidden charges or fees. If you want to try something, you can. There are testers for EVERY product so you can either try it on yourself or ask one of the trained staff to help you out. The staff I was chatting to in store were lovely and approachable, nothing like certain other make-up brands.<br />
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Lo and behold we were let loose on the store and were told we had a gift voucher to go towards purchases. I went a bit crazy and spent the voucher and a lot more but I picked up some gorgeous things. I made sure to focus more on general make-up items than nail polishes since I know I love Kiko Milano's polishes. I was going to post my purchases as well but I filmed the unboxing and it didn't turn out great so that might come a later date but check out my <a href="http://instagram.com/flailsandnails" target="_blank">INSTAGRAM</a> for a picture of it all.<br />
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If you're around Belfast then check out the new store, it's on William Street South, between Hotel Chocolat and Argos. To sum it up I'd say the shop gives you MAC counter vibes for the sheer beauty and awesome displays of products but a far more welcoming atmosphere.<br />
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Good luck Kiko Belfast! No doubt I'll be in again soon enough...Flails and Nailshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14337131801926055018noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-808355645028585487.post-29315221483472104622016-08-29T08:00:00.000+01:002016-08-29T08:00:28.333+01:00Disneyland Paris Castle Nails + Poundland Makeup Gallery Nail Polish* ReviewContinuing with the theme of Disney nails every week until I'm away, I thought I'd kill two birds with one stone and create some nail art using some polishes from Poundland's Makeup Gallery range that I need to review.<br />
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The colour palette of the polishes I chose seemed to match up with the colour scheme of Sleeping Beauty's castle which is in the Disneyland Paris park. All polishes used in this nail art are from the Makeup Gallery range, except for the gold and metallic blue.<br />
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From Poundland's Makeup Gallery range I used <i>Bambino Blue</i>, <i>Pink Soda</i> as well as their black and white polishes. I wanted to see how the polishes coped with being both a base for nail art as well as detailing.<br />
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The nail art itself was a bit of a faff to be honest. It didn't take as long as I thought it would but it was one of those manicures which didn't really come together until the very last outline was added. I used a general reference photo of the Disneyland Paris castle and I picked out parts of the castle that drew my attention. When I was looking at the photo, I didn't realise how many turrets had gold detailing or were gold all together. When I go in a few weeks I'll definitely be looking at it for a lot longer to see all the extra details.<br />
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Since the polishes are only a pound each, you can't really go in with too high of an expectation. First of all, there is a good colour selection to choose from. Although not all colours were stocked in my local shop, I was still able to choose a good variety of shades to try out (you'll be seeing them soon). The first polish from the range I used was <i>Bambino Blue. </i>A pale baby blue, <i>Bambino Blue </i>took three coats to get some kind of opacity. The polish got a little bit tacky if you worked with it too long so be quick with it.<br />
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I used <i>Pink Soda </i>for the outline and fill of the castle. Again, another thin but tacky polish. I thinned it down with some nail polish remover so it was more workable. The white is not as pigmented as other whites in my collection so it'll probably not be one I'll reach for for detailing but some acetone makes it workable. I was pleasantly surprised by the black from Makeup Gallery. It was pigmented and worked quite well for outlining the castle and adding shadows.<br />
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All together the polishes were alright to work with. For what they are, they are pretty good. At only £1 you can't really complain. Pastel shades are probably not the best colours to showcase a range's potential so I'll reserve all judgement until I have tried out some more deep shades. As you can see though, I got the nail art completed so it's doing something right!<br />
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Have you tried any of Poundland's Makeup Gallery range? Let me know in the comments below and be sure to like, subscribe and follow on all social media. Until next time :)Flails and Nailshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14337131801926055018noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-808355645028585487.post-47316672642734506232016-08-25T08:00:00.000+01:002016-08-25T08:00:00.148+01:00Models Own Dare to Bare Hypergel Swatches*Hi everyone! The Dare to Bare collection from Models Own has been making waves in the blogosphere these past few weeks. A complete make-up collection celebrating all thing neutral, Dare to Bare contains lipsticks, eyeshadows, pressed powder and yes, new Hypergel shades.<br />
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I was lucky enough to be sent all five of the Dare to Bare Hypergels to swatch for you guys. You'll see just how hit and miss nude polishes can be if paired with the wrong skin tone. For full disclosure, I have very fair, cool-toned skin so if you have similar skin tone, then know that the polishes that look good on me will probably look good for you.<br />
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<a name='more'></a>The following swatches are two coats each (except for Deep Tan, which is three) and no top coat, just look at that gloss!<br />
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Let's start with the shades that suit my skin-tone (at least I think so)<br />
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<i>Undertones</i>: A peachy, pink nude, this shade is quite pigmented and easily opaque after two coats. I really like this as an alternative to a pink nude. I think with the peach tone, it lends itself to all skin tones, cool, warm and neutral. It's a yes from me!<br />
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<i>Suede</i>: The pink-toned counterpart to <i>Undertones</i>, it's another pigmented pale shade. If you apply this right, you could even get away with just one coat which I haven't come across in this pale of a shade before. This shade gives me serious mannequin hand vibes, which I love.<br />
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<i>Skin Deep</i>: A terracotta shade, this is hardly a nude shade for me but I love it all the same. It's a really unusual colour and unlike anything in my stash. I'd love to see this on a darker skin tone but as you can see, this ghost is a fan as well.<br />
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Now for the shades that don't work for my skin-tone...<br />
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<i>Emperors Clothes</i>: A neutral greige, this shade is quite similar to others from Models Own like Naked Glow but for whatever reason it just doesn't seem to suit me. I want to see this on a warm skin tone since my cool undertones don't work well with it (IMO anyway)<br />
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<i>Deep Tan</i>: A rich caramel shade, I thought this looked great in the bottle but it's not for my skin tone. I know already that this would look great on my Mummy (who has much warmer undertones). I'll probably use this as a base or accent for nail art but probably not for a plain manicure.<br />
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I hope you like the swatches. Even though some shades don't work with my own skin tone, they might do with yours so I hope this post helps you out a bit. As polishes, these ones are pretty darn good, as Hypergel polishes from Models Own often are. All but Deep Tan only needed two coats for full opacity. Deep Tan was a bit of a funny polish to apply but I might have been too liberal with cuticle oil and not liberal enough with nail polish remover.<br />
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You can grab the new Dare to Bare Hypergel polishes from Models Own <a href="https://www.modelsownit.com/product/8158/nails/nail-polish/whats-new/dare-to-bare/dare-to-bare-hypergel-collection#38729" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">here</a> as well as in their bottleshops and are £4.99. Which shade is your favourite? Let me know in the comments below and be sure to like, subscribe and comment on social media (FLAILSANDNAILS errywhere) Until next time :)Flails and Nailshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14337131801926055018noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-808355645028585487.post-29365645473491043742016-08-22T08:00:00.000+01:002016-08-22T08:00:13.762+01:00The Little Mermaid Nail Art + Tutorial For anyone who follows me on <a href="http://twitter.com/flailsandnails" target="_blank">Twitter</a> or <a href="http://instagram.com/flailsandnails" target="_blank">Instagram</a>, you'd know that I'm heading to Disneyland Paris in a few weeks *SO EXCITED* I thought I'd get in the mood (not that I need any excuse) by doing some Disney inspired nail art with tutorials for anyone else who is also heading to the happiest place on Earth.<br />
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My first Disney manicure is of Ariel, the Little Mermaid. I thought the summery colour scheme would be fitting with the last few weeks of Summer (not that we've had much here). I actually did a version of these nails on my friend Emma who I went with to Disneyland last year. The look is relatively simple and takes about an hour. Follow me for a .gif and step-by-step tutorial!<br />
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Colours you'll need: A turquoise, purple, lilac, orange-red, nude, black, white and a holographic top-coat (<b>Models Own </b><i>Turquoise Gloss, Lilac Flush, Lilac Sheen, Naked Glow, Watermelon</i>, <b>Barry M </b><i>Coconut, Black </i>and <b>American Apparel </b><i>Holographic Topcoat</i>)<br />
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1. Paint your thumb and little finger turquoise and your other three nails a nude shade.<br />
2. Paint a holographic topcoat over the turquoise nails<br />
3. Using a dotter tool and detail brush, create little eyes on your middle finger<br />
4. With a striper brush, outline and fill Ariel's red hair. Add highlight details and a little purple starfish.<br />
5. On your index and ring finger, outline and fill the top of Ariel's shell bikini in opposite directions.<br />
6. Add black outlines to Ariel's hair and the shell top. Add highlights and low lights as well, what ever you fancy.<br />
7. Add a top coat to seal and enjoy!<br />
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And it's as easy as that! Let me know if you'd like to see more Disney tutorials over the next few weeks. Who's your favourite Disney character?Flails and Nailshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14337131801926055018noreply@blogger.com2